From The Bottom
by Cookie-chan27
Summary: Four teens living in poverty. They all want something more. Music brought them together, can they make their own music and rise to the top and leave their disgusting city? They seem to think so. Pairings: SebCiel, ClaudAlois, SasuNaru. AU, OC, Drugs, Lemon
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first time writting a story and Im not a very good writer but I want to share some of my ideas so Im giving it a try. I want to thank my Beta reader Marikatsku, she helps make this story so much better. Leave reviews telling me what you think and share ideas. Thats it, I hope you guys enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 1: Meeting**

My stomach growled loudly, causing me to grip it tightly in hope of quieting it down. Jeez I'm so hungry. I thought grumpily to myself.

Ever since my parents died in a fire my life has been horrible. The stupid people in the orphanage think they can treat me however they want because I'm a kid and I can't do anything about it. But today was the last straw. I walked out of that orphanage with my pride and the clothes on my back.

Now here I am starving and wandering the streets. If I'm correct there should be a soup kitchen around here. Stumbling through the crowd I gazed at the many buildings some more intact than others, but sitting at the end of the street was this part of the cities only soup kitchen. As I was walking to the overrun soup kitchen I passed by an ally on the other side of the street and saw two burly silhouettes beating a smaller figure.  
When the beatings quieted down a smaller figure came staggering into the light. It was a kid who looked to be 17, two years older than me, he was short with spiky golden hair, sky blue eyes and three whisker marks on each of his cheeks. I pitied the beaten kid. He doesn't look like the kind of guy to hurt someone but its none my business. So why should I interfere.

I walked into the soup kitchen where there were round tables spread around the place, to the right was were you go to get your soup and bread. To the left was a small stage with a microphone, drum set, speakers, and amps hooked to guitars.

There weren't many people here and some people sat near others they seemed to have known, chatting quietly. A girl sat at the far left of the kitchen near the stage sitting alone. She had silk black hair that stopped in the middle of her back and red eyes. She wore black skinny jeans with zippers and black suspenders dangling from the belt loops. Her black sweater seemed to be one size to big, so continued to re adjust them up her arms constantly. Her combat boots were also muddied with the questionable trash that were littered throughout the city.

I went over and got a bowl of soup and a piece of bread and sat at the empty table next to the black haired girl, in front of the stage. Stumbling in a minute later the blonde kid I saw being beaten in the ally came in and got some food. He was at a loss as to where to sit, as though he didn't want to sit alone but he didn't want to sit near anyone he saw, until his eyes landed on me.

He walked up to my table and with a grin on his face asked "Can I sit here?"

"Sure" I said nonchalantly.

He sat down and started eating his food with rigor. As he stuffed his face with the little food he was given I got a good look at him since he was in the light now and not a dark ally. He was wearing old ripped jeans and an orange sweater with old converse sneakers. The three of us sat in silence until another party piqued up. He had pale blonde hair and blue eyes. He had on a pair old raged jeans, a purple top and some old sneakers. He came over to our table and asked lazily "Mind if I join you guys?"

The blonde sitting with me looked at me as if asking permission. I rolled my eyes at mumbled "No one's stopping you."

He sat down with a thump and the whiskered kid introduced himself "Names Naruto" he said with a smile.

"My names Alois" the other blonde said, also with a small smile of his own. They both looked at me as if expecting me to speak.

"I'm Ciel" I said begrudgingly.

We all sat and talked about nothing in particular. A few minutes later group of people came onto the stage in front of us. They readied their instruments and a guy stepped up to the mike.

"Good evening everyone. We are here for more than just entertainment. We hope to make you believe that you still matter and you can make something of yourself no matter what people say or do to you."

'Whatever'. I thought thinking it was all just bullshit but when the music started I was captivated.

_I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's only me and I walk alone_

The lyrics explained how I felt. It was just me, I walked alone on the streets with no one beside me.

I_ walk this empty street  
On the boulevard of broken dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone  
I walk alone, I walk alone (x2)  
My shadows only one that walks beside me  
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone up here will find me  
Till then I walks along  
uh uh uh uhhhh uh uh_

They were all focused on their part. Trying to make the performance as good as possible. Why?

_I'm walking down the line_  
_That divides me somewhere in my mind_  
_On the boarder line of the edge and where I walk alone_  
_Read between the lines what's fucked up and everything's all right_  
_Check my vital signs_  
_Know I'm sill alive and I walk alone_  
_I walk alone, I walk alone (x2)_

Their music says something. I look around and realize I'm not the only one astounded. Everyone is looking at them, giving them their attention. People look at them like their important.

_My shadows only one that walks beside me_  
_My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating_  
_Sometimes I wish someone up their will find me_  
_Till then I walk along_  
_uh uh uh uhhhh uh uh uh_  
_I walk alone I walk alone_

The Naruto kid next to me was watching the guy on the guitar and Alois was looking at the guy on the drums. I looked over at the girl next to our table and saw her staring dreamily, like she was wishing she could be up there. Just like me.

_I walk this empty street_  
_On the boulevard of broken dreams_  
_Where the city sleeps and I'm the only one_  
_And I walk alone_  
_My shadows only one that walks beside me_  
_My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating_  
_Sometimes I wish someone up their will find me_  
_Till then I walks along_

When the song came to an end everyone clapped and cheered. I was shocked these people had me staring off into space and my mind filled with jumbled thoughts just by getting on stage and singing.  
"Thank you. Good night everyone." After the lead singer said that the group walked off the stage. I didn't want them to go. I wanted to listen to them, but at the same time I wanted to get up there myself and sing and make other people feel the same way they made me feel. I wanted people to look at me they way everyone here looked at them. I didn't know what this feeling was. . . But I didn't want to loose it.


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to mention this last time but I will try to update every weak. No matter what I wont abandon the story though. Also my beta reader has changed her name to Zelach. Oh! and the song used in the last chapter is Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green day and the song used in this chapter is Photograph by Nickleback.**

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**Chapter 2: The Plan**

"Wow did you see the guy on the guitar? He was amazing!" Naruto said in excitement.

"So was the guy on the drums." replied Alois

"Dude I wish I could do something like that." Naruto said wistfully.

"Me too. I wonder if they'll have someone perform tomorrow."

"We should totally come and see." Naruto said excitedly. Wanting to see another awesome performance.

"Sounds like a plan." Said Alois, just as excited.

"Whadda think Ciel?" Naruto asked me.

"You want me to come too?" I asked confused as to why they would want me to join them.

"Yea. You seemed like you enjoyed it too. Don't you wanna see another one?"

I did want to see another performance. I was just surprised Naruto and Alois wanted us to go together like a group of friends. I suppose its more fun to be around friends than to be alone, but are we friends?

"Sure." I said.

"Awesome" Naruto replied.

We finished our meals and walked to the door. Once outside we all went our separate ways.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Naruto yelled running down the sidewalk.

"Bye!" Alois yelled back going the opposite direction.

I stood there not sure where to go. There was no way I was going back to that god forsaken orphanage. Just then the girl that was sitting in the table next to me, Naruto, and Alois walked out of the soup kitchen. She looked at me and noticed my lost expression. She walked over to me and said "You looking for a place to stay?"

I stood there for a minute then nodded my head. I was confused as to why she would want to help me, she didn't know me.

"Follow me." she said. I followed her cautiously staying behind her a few steps most of the way.  
I kept my guard up the whole time we were walking. I couldn't trust this girl because I didn't know her. She led me to an old abandoned warehouse.

"You can stay here. No one comes by here anymore."

Oh so she just brought me somewhere 'safe' to stay. She wouldn't bring me to where she was staying. She doesn't trust me either.

"How do I know its 'safe'?" I asked suspiciously. She looked at me and she knew I didn't trust her.

"I guess you don't, you either have to take the risk or find someplace else." She said.

We both knew we didn't trust each other and we both knew why. In this town trust got you in trouble and could get you killed. You could never let your guard down.

"So are you going to the soup kitchen to see another performance." She just stared at me.

"I saw how you looked at the people on stage. Like you wanted to be up there doing the same thing. Just like me and the people sitting with us."

"I've always loved music. Music can change people, change the world, you can express yourself. Music has a way of . . . Connecting people who can be complete opposites. . ."

"I agree." I replied my face starting to show some emotion.

"You should join us tomorrow." I know I didn't know this girl and that I shouldn't trust her but I liked talking to her about music and I was sure the others would enjoy it too.

"We'll see." she said. Then she walked off.

I looked at the place she brought me was an old concrete building. Inside there was water damage and the walls were crumbling. I just stood there and stared for a while, and then I finally decided. I would stay here.

The next night when I got to the soup kitchen. The girl from yesterday was also there, she sat at the exact same table they had been at yesterday. I got my food, walked over there, and sat down.

"Glad you decided to join us." I said

"Did you have a nice night?" she asked not looking up from her soup.

I knew she was referring to if I slept at the warehouse or not.  
"I did" I said.

Even though I slept at the warehouse nothing has changed we still keep our guard up. Just then Naruto walked in followed by Alois they came over to the table and saw the girl sitting across from me and smiled.

"Check it out Alois Ciel got himself a girlfriend." Naruto teased. He plopped down into the seat to the right of me. Patting me on the back roughly. A little to roughly since my soup got over the table.

"She's not my girlfriend." I replied moodily, wiping up the watery soup.

"Hey weren't you here yesterday too?" Alois asked sliding to the seat to my left.

"Yeah." she replied looking up from her soup to look us in the eyes, or in my case eye.

"My names Lana." she told us.

We all sat there and talked about nothing. A few minutes later a group of people cam onto stage, it was a different group than yesterday. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't the same group but I was interested to see these guys perform.

"Good evening. We hope you enjoy our performance." The lead singer said briskly, but with his lack of an introduction he and his band members made it up with their performance.

_Look at this photograph_  
_Every time I do it makes me laugh_  
_How did our eyes get so red_  
_And what the hell is on Joey's head_  
_And this is where I grew up_  
_I think the present owner fixed it up_  
_I never knew we went without_  
_The second floor is hard for sneaking' out_  
_And this is where I went to school_  
_Most of the time I had better things to do_  
_Criminal record says I broke in twice_  
_I must have done it half a dozen times_  
_I wonder if it's too late_  
_Should I go back and try to graduate?_

As I listened to this song my mind seemed to float to the darker parts of my life. I didn't have many good memories. I have a few from when I was a child and living with my parents, but I don't have any photographs with family or friends. I didn't have places I wanted to remember.

_It's better now than it was back then  
If I was them I wouldn't let me in  
oh oh oh  
oh god I I I  
Every memory of lookin' out the back door  
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor  
It's hard to say it time to say it  
Goodbye  
Every memory of walking out the front door  
I found a photo of the friend that I was lookin' for  
Its hard to say it time to say it  
Goodbye  
Goodbye  
_  
Did the guys on stage have all this? Is that how they came up with this song? They told their story through their songs, digging up old memories and sharing them with complete strangers. Their talent made me want to listen to their story, even though when they were done I probably wouldn't ever see them again.

_Remember the old arcade?  
Blew every dollar that I ever made  
The cops hated us hanging out  
they said somebody went and burned it down  
We used to listen to the radio  
and sing along with every song we'd know  
We said someday we'd find out how it feels  
To sing to more than just the steering wheel  
Kim's the first girl I kissed  
I was so nervous that I nearly missed  
She's had a couple of kids since then  
I haven't seen her since god knows when  
oh oh oh  
oh god I EE I  
_  
I wanted to tell my stories and I wanted people to want to listen because of my talent. I also wanted to send out messages with my music to people. I wanted to be on stage.

_Every memory of looking out the back door  
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor  
Its hard to say it time to say it  
Goodbye  
Goodbye  
Every memory of walking out the front door  
I found a photo of the friend I was lookin' for  
Its hard to say it time to say it  
Goodbye  
Goodbye_

_I miss that town_  
_I miss the faces_  
_You cant erase_  
_You cant replace it_  
_I miss it now_  
_I cant believe it_  
_so hard to say_  
_Too hard to leave it_  
_If i could relive those days_  
_I know the one thing that I would never change_

_Every memory of lookin' out the back door_  
_I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor_  
_Its hard to say it time to say it_  
_Goodbye_  
_Goobye_  
_Every memory of walking out the front door_  
_I found a photo of the friend that I was lookin' for_  
_Its hard to say it time to say it_  
_Goodbye_  
_Goodbye_

When the song ended we continued eating our meal in silence before Naruto decided to speak his thoughts aloud.

"Man I wish I could be up there~" Said Naruto, a dreamy look settling onto his face.

"Me too." replied Alois.

"Wouldn't be cool if we made a band?" asked Naruto "We could write our own songs and perform them on stage. That would be so cool." He had a real smile on his face while saying this. I could tell this is something he really wanted.

"We could try." I said. They all turned and looked at me like I just grew another head.

"Look, We all like music and we all wish to be up on stage performing. If we work hard we might be able to make it happen."

"But how are we gonna get noticed in this town? People around her don't give a shit about anything or anyone unless they get money, sex, or drugs from it." Alois said with a disgusted look on his face.

"We all want to get out of this town, don't we?" I asked. "We could play gigs and get jobs until we raise enough money to get the hell out of here."

They were all a little weary. I couldn't blame them, starting a band with a bunch of people you've just met. Like I said you cant trust people in this town. Alois was right all people wanted was money, sex, and drugs, But this was something we all wanted. And this could be our only chance.

"I'm in" said Naruto "I really want to play the guitar in a band and show people what I can really do. . ."

Alois had a thoughtful expression and finally said "I'll give it a try to. I'll be an awesome drummer." He finished with a smile.

We all looked at Lana. She seemed torn, she wanted this but didn't know if it would work, none of us did.

"You told me to take a risk. Now its your turn." I told her.

"Ok." she said. "I already know you want to sing and so do I. I have guitar and keyboard experience. I could teach you what I know and we could alternate. . . I also have song ideas. . . ." She said the last bit quietly.

"Great. First we need to book some gigs and look for jobs. Ill ask the workers here about a gig." I informed the three of them,

"I can look for gigs online when I get home." Alois said.

"I'll start researching jobs for each of us let you guys know what I find tomorrow" Lana said. Then Naruto replied "I already have a guitar, I'll play around and try to come up with some lyrics."

This was our start. We were scared it wouldn't work but we were willing to try. This is what we wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Song: Never give in by Black Veil Brides**

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**Chapter 3: Conflict**

The next night we all met up at the soup kitchen and sat at our table by the stage. "Ok I found out that we can get paid $40.00 for every gig we play here." I informed.

"I made a list of available jobs for us to pick from." stated Lana pulling out a list of jobs from her worn backpack and setting it on the table.

"The city is pretty busy so we wont get any gigs for about eight weeks." Informed Alois.

"I got some pretty cool song idea's." Said Naruto with a grin.

"Our gig here is in 6 weeks so we need to start practicing. We need to find a place to practice. We also need a drum set for Alois" I said.

"How about the warehouse? We can practice there." Lana inquired.

"Where are we gonna get a drum set though?" Naruto asked glumly. "They don't really come by cheap. . ."

"The worker I talked to about getting a gig mentioned that one of the bands that played here is going to donate a new drum set. Maybe they will give us the old one for a cheap price." I told them. They all nodded in agreement and we looked through the list of job openings.

I decided to take the job at a cafe just down the street from here. It would be pretty convenient since it's near the soup kitchen, and near walking distance to my new home at the warehouse. Naruto decided to work at a sports store, which I thought suited him. Lana chose Ted Brown's music store, she said she would try and ask the manager about employee discounts on some of the equipment for us. And Alois said he wanted to look the list over more before making his decision.

After talking with a staff member we learned that we they were giving the drum set away for free. It really sounded to good to be true. And it was, the drum set was in shitty conditions. We considered not even taking it but. . . Alois said it would be fine, and we couldn't shoot down the happy gleam in his eyes.

So. . . We ended up dragging the drums back to the warehouse.

"Guy's people could easily come in and steal the drum set." Alois stated tiredly. We made it back to warehouse and we were exhausted. The set was really heavy.

"He's right we need to figure something out." Naruto replied while sliding to the floor.

I stood there for a few minutes thinking, then Lana said "I know somewhere else we could go. Follow me." Alois and Naruto groaned. Naruto more so than Alois.

Lana led us farther down town into the more questionable part of the city. I was cautious the whole time and so were Naruto and Alois. The two were also getting suspicious the father we got into the city. We came to a stop in front of a big building. It was a dark tan color and had multiple windows, some of which might I add were broken.

We went to the side of a building which made up as part of an ally. Behind a dumpster was a small window which each of us could squeeze through, just barely. It was dark but Lana pulled out a flashlight from her backpack and led us to a staircase leading down to the basement. Alois and Naruto struggled with the large drum set as they went downstairs. I would have helped but someone had to keep an eye out.

Down in the basement were a few blankets, a door leading to a closet and another leading to a small bathroom. A small fireplace was the left side of the room, ash sat inside the fireplace, seems like someone came here often. . . . There was a small torn up couch that faced a small black and white television, which was now turned off.

We all just stood in the doorway. "Why are we here?" Naruto asked, setting down his half of the drum set, Alois squawked as the rest came falling down. Alois mumbled angrily as he tried gathering the parts.

"This is where I live." Lana replied. "The landlord of these apartments lets me stay here for free as long as I don't cause trouble. No one should hear us down here so we can probably practice here without any interruptions."

"You don't really stay here do you?" I asked knowing she didn't trust us enough to actually take us to her actual home. She looked at me, her face expressionless, and said "No, but I could if I wanted too. I just chose not to. The offer is always there though, so he wont mind."

We all stood there and looked around. "All right. We can bring the instruments here and come here to practice everyday." I said.

The next night we all met up at the basement. Alois complained that he felt like he was going to get jumped whenever he came down the ally, but he wasn't the only one.

We all set up our instruments and started our first day of practice.

Using the lyrics Naruto came up with when he was on his lunch break, we were able to work together to make a real song. I would be singing this time , so Lana would be playing bass. The song told our story. Learning the song wasn't too hard since we wrote it but we had a lot of problems with timing. Some were going to fast and others were falling behind. We were able to fix some problems but more seemed to come right after. We had allot of work ahead of us. . .

Everyday started the same way: work, practice, work, practice, work, and practice some more. We were all working to get to where we wanted.

By the time we had our first gig we were ready. We had perfected our timing and we knew the song like the back of our hands, but. . . I felt like something was missing.

When we got up on stage everyone turned to look at us. They were expecting a good performance and that's what we wanted to give them. I watched the crowed as we started. Not 10 minutes into the song did people start to turn away and carry on conversations, uninterested in us. It was a hard blow. But I knew I still had to keep going and so did the others. So we finished the song and got off stage. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't say anything.

We got our money and got out.

We split the money to put into our stashes where we kept the money we made from our jobs. After that we all went our separate ways, we all felt the same and there was nothing any of us could do or say to make each other feel better.

The next night we all met up for practice again, but we all just sat there quietly not knowing how to fix the problem. We didn't know what it was we were missing. Naruto's stomach growled and we all realized how hungry we were so we made our way to the soup kitchen.

We walked in with our heads down too embarrassed to look at anyone. We sat at our table in front of the stage and ate quietly.  
"Hey isn't that the band that played here yesterday?" We heard the guys at the table not far from ours whispering.

"Yeah. They weren't very interesting. I mean the music was good but they were boring." His friend said.  
"I know, Right."

Boring. We were boring. Okay, I could accept that (For now) But how do you go about fixing something that's boring? I looked at the others and saw that they were all at a loss. While we sat there thinking another group came on to the stage. I watched them intently, trying to see if I could figure out what it was that we were missing. What did the other bands have that we didn't? I saw the others watching too trying to see if they could find it also.

_A reason, a victim  
A shining beacon in the sky  
You yearn for  
what's missing  
the power hidden in the night_

I sat and stared. I wanted to listen, their talent is what made me want to listen but so did something else.

_An angel, a demon  
the parts you play on lonesome nights  
the damage inflicted  
the pain and lust they leave behind  
Never give in  
Never back down  
Never give in  
Were soldiers in season  
we can bring change before we die  
The tales of  
their beatings  
to fear what lies beneath our eyes_

I looked at each of the band members faces. I could see they were happy to be up there. We were happy when we were up their too, but what about them made it so different.

_Never give in  
Never back down  
Never give in  
Never back down  
When your life feels lost  
Fight against all odds!  
Never give in  
Never back down!_

I could see Naruto was captivated by the guitar solo and could see in his eyes how much he wanted to be like that, same as me, Lana, and Alois. What was keeping us from that?  
_  
Never give in  
Never back down  
Never give in  
Never back down  
When your life feels lost  
Fight against all odds!  
Never give in  
Never back down!_

We were missing something and these people had it we just didn't know what it was. When they all got off the stage Alois stood up from the table and walked toward them. Lana, Naruto, and I looked at each other then got up and followed after Alois. Alois stopped right in front of the group and blurted out..."How do you do it?"

They all looked at each other and looked back at him confused. "What do you mean?" Their guitarist asked.

"How do you catch peoples attention and make them want to listen to you?" He asked being more elaborate. They all looked at a loss of words. "We just get up and do it. We work hard on our music and work as a team." replied the lead singer like he was answering the easiest question in the world.

"So do we but people aren't interested in us." Naruto said coming up behind Alois. Lana and I stood behind them and listened.

"Do you enjoy it?" asked the drummer. We all stood silent, why would we even bother trying if we didn't like it?, is what we were all thinking.

"Do you enjoy getting on stage and making music with your friends? Do like being able to do this together?" he asked.

I stood there dumbfounded. That it, that's what we were missing. We weren't really working together, sure we practiced and wrote our songs together but we weren't close like these guys. They were so carefree and comfortable around each other. They weren't afraid to be around each other and talk about themselves. We were to distant and cautious around each other, even on stage. That's what made us boring. We focused on ourselves and not as a group.

We stood there not knowing what to say, but the look on their faces told us that they knew we understood. They smiled at us and walked off. We all turned and left the kitchen, walking back to the basement. We all knew what it was that was holding us back. And we needed to figure out a way to fix it. What we needed and lacked the most. . . .Trust.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Trust**

We all sat in front of the fire place. The weather was becoming colder as the days of November past; the landlord, who was a nice man in his mid 50's, had given us some wood for the fireplace. I sat on the left closest to the fire, next to me was Naruto, then Alois, then Lana closest to the right side of the fireplace.

We sat there in a awkward silence. No one knowing what to say. We all knew what was holding us back but were we willing to risk everything to trust each other? In this city trust was almost nonexistent, but in the world trust could help you in so many ways. This was something we all had to have with each other if we want to make it big.

"Ok guys," I stared "We all know what we need to fix and there's no other way around it, so we all have to agree on this. We need to work as a group without worrying about what we say or do. We need to be comfortable around each other and we need to trust each other."

They all had the uneasy expression and I know I had that same expression, but we all knew why had to do this.

"He's right." Naruto said slowly, "We won't get anywhere working like this."

"The bands we see perform are all carefree, they weren't afraid to laugh and joke around each other." Alois said with his head down, a longing look on his face. "I want us to be able to be like that." He said lifting his head to look at us, the same longing look but with a small smile.

"I think to be more comfortable around each other we need to learn more about each other." Lana said,  
Looking at all of us with a serious face.

"We need to be honest with each other and with ourselves and we should be ok with talking about anything with each other. Without our worries we should be able to put more passion into our music...together."

"We'll go around the circle," I began, "I'll go first then Naruto, then Alois, then Lana. Ok?" They each nodded their head. With that we shuffled into a small circle. I cleared my throat, and shifted a bit uncomfortably.

"I'm Ciel Phantomhive. I'm 15 and have been living in an orphanage since I was 5. My parents died when our mansion caught on fire. I was able to make it out and was sent to an orphanage. Since I'm under age I'm not aloud to touch the money my parents left behind in their bank accounts, but since the orphanage took me in they are able to take money out of the bank to help take care of me. . ." I clenched my fist angrily. It always hurt when I brought up my family, but it made me angry even thinking about that orphanage.

"That's not what they really used the money for; they used it for their own benefit and did nothing for me or any of the other kids. They made us work 24/7 and if we did or said anything they didn't like they beat us and locked us in a dark room. I never really saw any of the other kids they all kept to themselves, too afraid to interact. The adults at the orphanage beat and humiliated me. . . Told me I wasn't worth anything. So. . . I. . . I had enough, and I left."

Throughout this whole story I kept my head down, but now I looked up at them with a look of determination. "I want to prove them wrong and I plan to. With this band I wanna show people how wrong they were, to show them how much we really matter." I finished.

They all looked at me with a new found respect in their eyes. They all wanted the same thing I did and they were convinced that I was willing to work hard for all of us.

"How did you end up with an eye patch?" Naruto asked curiously. I brought my hand up to the eye patch, my finger tips hovered over my right eye. The memories came back like a tidal wave.

"It was when my home was set on fire." I murmured.

_The young heir to the Phantomhive estate ran down the long corridors of the mansion in a panic. He called out for his mother and father. Yet there was no reply, Ciel was not aware of attention to where he was going, his thoughts stuck on finding his family. Above him the ceiling collapsed down onto the young boy. Broken wood and glass plummeted onto him. The ornamental vases that lined the hallway were crushed beneath the weight of the wood. Tiny shards of glass flew into his blue eye. Ciel cried out in pain scrunching his eye and rubbing furiously at it, though it only intensified his pain. Ciel scrambled away from the hallway, holding his closed right eye. Through the pain he carried on, he sobbed loudly as he desperately continued searching for his parents._

He stumbled to the study and opened the charred door. To his horror, his fathers was chair on fire and he could make out the arm that rested on the side. Ciel's wail grew louder as he took in the horrific scene. Ciel's tears mixed with the blood that dripped from his eye. He was to late. One of the maids, who still lingered in the estate came up behind him.

"Come young master we must go!" She shrieked loudly, her burned hands grabbed Ciel's arm and pulled him through the hallways until they came a opened window. They were lucky that they were on the first floor. They had a way to get out of the burning building quickly. Once they were out and a safe distance away they waited for the fire department. Ciel could only watch as his house burnt down, Taking his family with it.

The whole band sat in silence, taking in all the information Ciel just gave them. Then their gaze drifted to Naruto, waiting for him to share his tale with them.

I was nervous. I wanted to trust these guys, but I've been let down so many times that it's hard to try and confide in other people, but I know I needed to do this. I took a deep breath and began.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm 17 and have been living on the streets since I was 6. When I was 4 my parents died in a car accident. I was in the car but didn't have any life threatening injuries so I only spent 2 days in the hospital. Right after I was sent to an orphanage but they kicked me out, said I was trash and I didn't belong."

I could feel the familiar stinging sensation behind my eyes telling me I was close to tears, but I held them back and continued.

"The police found out and found me on the streets and put me in a foster home. My foster parents never really cared for me, or paid attention to me. They hate seeing me in their house so I left on most days and snuck in my room through the window at night to sleep there. Then I would just leave early in the morning. The only thing I had my room was a mattress with some thin blankets and two guitars that I found in alleys. I basically lived on the streets even then, I didn't have a family to go to. I'm always being jumped and dragged into alleys because people think I'm too weak and can't fight, they think I'm worthless. . ."

What about the scars on your face?" Alois asked hesitantly not wanting to upset me any more, but wanting to distinguish his curiosity.

I looked up and gave him a faint smile.

"They're birth marks." I said. He looked relieved that there wasn't a sad story to tell them that would upset me. Knowing that he didn't want me to be upset made me feel a little better.

I lifted up my head and looked them all in the eye.

"But I'll show them I'll be the best lead guitar in the best band ever!" I shouted with a smile. Nothing anyone can say to me was gonna convince me otherwise.

"We'll show everyone how awesome our band is. Believe it" I finished giving them a thumbs up. And a cheeky gin plastered on my face. They all smiled at me and I knew they believed we would be the best too. We all then turned and looked at Alois, waiting to hear his story. He kept his head down and we could see he was scared to speak. I didn't know if it was because he didn't trust us or if he was scared to talk about himself, but we didn't rush him we waited until he was ready to speak.

I sat there with my head down. I didn't know how to tell them this. I didn't want them to think I was disgusting and trash like everyone else. I cared about what these guys thought of . . . I didn't want to go back to being alone again.

I looked up at them and saw them waiting patiently for me to speak. I didn't know what to say I want them to know the truth, but I was scared. Then Lana looked at me and said: "Whatever you tell us we won't judge you." It was hard to believe that, she saw hesitation so she continued.

"If you're willing to work hard for this band as long as you show us who you really are we wont ridicule you for what's happened in the past." She told me with a serious look. I looked at the rest and they all nodded their heads. I took a deep breath and told them of my past.

"I'm Alois Trancey. I'm 15 and I belong to a wealthy family. When I was a baby I was kidnapped, my mother died grieving for the loss of her only child and my dad went mad after her death doing everything he could to find me until the day he also died." I took another breath trying to prepare myself for what I was about to tell them.

"I was. . Taken in by a old rich bastard." Bile built in the back of my throat just at the mention of him. "I was. . . I was practically a sex slave for him. I was humiliated and used. He did whatever he wanted to me and I didn't know how to make it stop. . ."

I buried my face into my knees and continued my voice becoming muffled.

"One day I was, finally able to leave that fucked up place. After I was on the streets for a few days, some policeman found me when they were out on a patrol. When they found out I was the missing child of the Trancey family they told me about my parents and sent me to live with my uncle, but nothing changed. . . He was just as disgusting. . . So I ended up being used only for pleasure once again." It was hard to speak but I knew I had to continue.

"I couldn't go to the authorities. Even if they believed me, what would be left for me? Going to a foster home or living on the streets just so more people could use me. That is how I've been living for the past 2 years. Lately has been ordering different boys to do the job but once in a while he comes to me for release. I know he wouldn't even notice if I just disappeared. He'd just find himself another toy, but I go back because. . . I have nowhere else to go." I finished. I looked at there faces and I didn't see judgment in their eyes. I don't know what it was.

"I want something more than that. I don't want to let people use me for the rest of my life. I wanna show what I can do and I know I can't do it alone. I'm willing to do it with you guys and help in any way I can."

"What job are you doing to help raise money?" Lana asked me. I hung my head and replied bitterly.

"I've been selling myself. I've made about 600 dollars." I was ashamed to say it out loud. But I didn't know what else to do. This is what I've done all my life.

"You have to believe that you can do something better than just sell yourself. Even if the job doesn't pay as well it's still better than letting people use you. If you don't want to be used for the rest of your life you have to not let them. Starting now." Lana said with authority in her voice.

I nodded my head. I felt like a kid being scolded by his mother, but what she was saying was true and I had to listen.

"I understand I'll find a real job." I said looking her in the eyes. She nodded her head.

"You shouldn't live there anymore either." She said. She seemed to be thinking hard for a few minutes then came to a decision. "I think we should all live here together." We sat their silent for a few minutes.

"She's right." agreed Naruto "None of us have anywhere to go and living together can bring us closer, we can all make sure everyone is safe." They were right this is probably the best solution for their living situation at the moment.

"We all have to agree on this." Ciel informed. It didn't take long for us to come to an agreement. We would all stay here and we would all keep each other safe, we won't hide anything from each other. I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders knowing that they don't judge me and still want me in the band. I felt more confident in myself.

Now all that was left was Lana's story.

I guess I was kinda nervous to tell my story. I didn't want to make the mistake of trusting people just for it to end badly, but I felt I could trust these guys and I know they trusted me. I wanted us to be closer; I just wanted to make sure they wanted it too. I was probably over thinking this I have a habit of doing that sometimes.

So I decided to just tell them everything, not hiding anything. That's how you make a friendship, trust and loyalty.

"Ok. Well I'm Lana and I'm 17. I don't have a last name because I don't have a family. I was found in a trash can with a paper stapled to my blanket that said 'Lana' and nothing else. I was put into a foster home and have been living there ever since. My foster parents are horrible all they did was get drunk and fight then come and beat me to let of some steam." My face was expressionless the whole time and I kept my eyes on a spot on the floor.

"I used to believe what they told me, that I wouldn't make something of myself and end up on the streets. I believed them because even though I was smart and got good grades I couldn't find anything I wanted to do for the rest of my life, until I found music. I heard music coming from this park near my high school and it was amazing. I saw a group in the middle of the park playing instruments and singing." My face lit up as I started talking about music

"I just stood there and watched. Then I thought that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to make my own music and captivate people. I wanted to show people they were wrong about me. I dropped out of school and spent all my time learning as much as I can about music." By now a small smile made its way on my face.

"I promise to do my best and help out in any way to make our band big and to keep us together."

"Pinky Swear!" Naruto suddenly yelled holding out his pinky. We were able to somehow manage a four way pinky swear, complying with Naruto's childish request, laughing a little while doing so.

"Pinky Swear!" we said in unison.


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry! I meant to upload this yesterday but I got sidetracked, but here it is. Oh and someone asked if Lana will have a boyfriend later in this story. I wasn't planning on it but ill set up a poll on my profile so people can vote, if its what you really want then maybe I can work something out. (By the way your grammar is great). Song: Breaking out, breaking down by Bullet for my Valentine.**

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**Chapter 5: Together**

Our next performance was in 3 weeks. During that time we moved into the basement. I went back to the orphanage to get my clothes. No one seemed to care that I was back. They probably expected me to come back sometime. But I wasn't here to stay. I walked into my room and grabbed the few clothes I had and walked out. Never looking back. Naruto, Alois, and Lana did the same and Naruto lugged his guitars back to the basement. I even grabbed a few extra blankets from the orphanage, not like they would notice anyway.

After moving in we spent our spare time working on our music. On our breaks at work we would sometimes come up with lyrics for new songs. When we met up at the basement after work we would try and incorporate the lyrics into a new song. We ended up having three new songs to share.

Lately we had been feeling a lot more inspired after we all confided in each other. We were more comfortable around one another and didn't worry about what we were saying in the others presence. We practiced our new songs and were able to perfect two of them. In our next gig we were only gonna perform one, but everyday we came up with more and more lyrics. At this rate we will have enough songs to make an album in no time.

We've all become closer and it showed in our music. This time we were 100% ready.

The night of the gig I was nervous. This was our chance to show how well we had improved. We were playing in a small pub. It was meant for teens so no alcohol was available, though it didn't prevent some under the counter sales. . .

We walked on stage and looked at the crowed, I could tell we were all nervous. I looked back at the rest of the group and we all looked at each other. I nodded at them, and they nodded back smiling nervously.

But all of a sudden our nervousness went away. I could see the relieved look on their faces, we were all content knowing we were all up here together doing what we loved the most. With our new found confidence we faced forward ready to dazzle everyone with our music.

_We could blame the world forever  
We could just escape together  
So are we breaking out or are we breaking down  
We can't blame this world forever  
(This world forever)_

Not long ago we found out Lana could do screamo. So she gladly provided the screaming in this song. Naruto said he wanted to try, but. . . In Alois words: He sounded like he was dying. Naruto take that too well. . .

_The end will never come  
There's still a mountain left to climb  
But we will overcome  
the hurdles placed inside our minds  
(So close, but still so far)  
Each day will bring us bring us a brand new star  
(What are we fighting for)  
We cannot live like this no more_

_Cause in the thick of darkened days,_  
_We know_

_We could blame the world forever_  
_We could just escape together_  
_So are we breaking out (breaking out)_  
_or are we breaking down (breaking down)_  
_We can't blame this world forever_  
_(This world forever)_  
_Just need some clarity,_  
_cant seem to open up these eyes_  
_dont want your sympathy_  
_it took us time to realize_  
_(This is not what I want)_  
_or how I thought this life would be_  
_(This is not what we need)_  
_so take this shit awar from me_

_Cause in the thick of darkened days_  
_we know_  
_We could blame the world forever_  
_We could just escape together_  
_So are we breaking out_  
_or are we breaking down_  
_We cant blame this world forever_  
_(this world forever)_

Naruto's solo came in and he played with so much passion everyone was hooked. The blonde was grinning happily as he played each cord. Everyone in the pub watched us in awe. They probably didn't expect such a good performance from a group of kids. But even so we had their attention, and we made them want to listen. And that is one of the greatest feelings you could have.

_So are we breaking out  
or are we breaking down  
I guess what's done is done  
But we will overcome  
We can blame this world forever  
We could blame this world forever  
We could just escape together  
So are we breaking out (breaking out)  
or are we breaking down(breaking down)  
We cant blame this world forever  
Cause in the thick of darkened days  
we know._

We finished the song and for a second people just stared at us, amazed. When they came to, everyone clapped and cheered. Some people even asked for an encore. This was the start of something great.  
We became a hit. We received invites to do more gigs. But slowly, but surely, we raised enough money for better equipment. We also became closer. We knew this wouldn't last long because this was a small town and as kids got older they would stop caring. This was fine because we only needed to last long enough to make the money we needed to get the hell out of here.

We worked hard day by day. Working at our low paying part time jobs. But every penny we made was worth it. We were so close to what we wanted and we were going to get it. That was until that night. . .


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm just warning you this chapter is sad. It starts off in Naruto's point of view. Also I need help thinking of band names so if you have any suggestions let me know.**

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**Chapter 6: Alley's**

Walking down the streets this late was definitely not safe. Especially in this part of the city, but I wanted to stop by the store after work to get the group some treats. Eating soup and bread everyday can get boring pretty easily and we've been working hard! We deserve some little sweets from the convenient store. I hope I got something everyone will like.

I avoided passing any alleys on the way back to the basement. Since I've always been dragged into them, and that's where all the scums of the block hung out. I wasn't vary far from the basement. So I quickly darted into the last ally on the block. Unfortunately luck was not on my side. Right as I was about to exit the alleyway I was stopped by a large form.

"Look what we have here guys. Seems like a cute little blonde is lost." The guy cackled loudly. Just by looking at him I could tell he was on something. His hair was matted and tangled, his breath stunk, he slurred when he spoke, and it looks like he hasn't bathed in months. his friends didn't look so hot either.

"I'm not lost I'm heading home."I replied as politely as I could, not wanting to cause trouble. I just wanted to go home.

"Why don't you hang out with us." He said stepping closer to me. "We'll have some fun." his friends behind him had sick smiles on their faces. I couldn't even imagine what they were thinking about.

"No thanks." I said clutching my bag tighter trying to keep my anger under control.

"Come on you know you want to." He coaxed, breathing heavily into my ear.

"I said no." I said angrily. I stepped around him to be blocked by his other druggie companions. Then they grabbed me. Pushing me back into the ally. The bag of treats that were in my hand were long forgotten, and were laying scattered about the asphalt.

"Were gonna have some fun." One of them said. I rushed forward hoping to get back out, but they grabbed my arms roughly. I tried to get out of their hold but there was too many and I couldn't get out of one hold long enough to get out of another. The sleeves of my sweater were being ripped off, exposing my bare arms the cold night air. I screeched loudly, yelling at them to let me go.

Suddenly I was being pierced by needles all over my arms. I had lost count of how many times I was stabbed with the needles. A few minutes later my vision started to become blurry and my body felt like jello. For a second I felt like I was on cloud nine but soon the feeling changed and I just felt weak and I couldn't focus on anything.

"What is this?" I croaked. My mouth seemed to be getting dryer by the minute.

The guy who had been harassing me came up and took my chin in his hand making me look him in his already dilated eyed. "It's called Meth kid." he told me. "Its the best thing out there. After tonight your gonna want more and more of it." Through my blurry vision I could see the sadistic smile on his face.

After that he and some of his other friends started stripping me until I was completely bare. I saw the leader pulled down his pants exposing his shaft. My mind slowly began to register what was happening. I crawled away weakly, but my body felt so heavy that every move I made was extremely tiring. They all stood around me and laughed at my pathetic attempt to escape. The leader came over to me, flipped me on my back and shoved his dick into me and immediately started thrusting.

A jolt of pain went up my spine. I screamed in agony clawing at the dirty alley floor. 'Someone help me!' I thought desperately. My painful screaming became muffled when someone tied a wad of cloth around my mouth. The rest stood around me waiting their turns. Some jerking off while doing so. Every now and then I could feel the high the meth put me on and the pain would vanished, but as soon as it came it went away and the pain returned almost unbearable then the last

I could hear the guys above me moaning and grunting. I could feel them releasing inside of me and could feel the cum and blood mixed together running down my thighs. After what felt like hours, each member left the ally. Until I was the only one who remained. I continued to lay they motionless. I couldn't feel my body all I could feel was the throbbing pain. After a while I could hear someone calling my name. Slowly I lifted my hand and brought it to the cloth in my mouth taking it out. I tried to call out but my voice was horse from the screaming.

When I saw three figures walking by the ally I tried again and managed to make a small noise that sounded like a scratchy groan. They must have heard me because they ran into the ally and knelt down next to me. My vision was still a little blurry but I could make out the person in front of me as Lana.

"What happened?" A voice that sounded like Alois asked. I still couldn't speak so they just helped me back into my clothes and dragged me out of the ally back towards the basement. Once out of the ally I spotted my untouched grocery bag and pointed towards it. Ciel saw what I was pointing at and went over and picked it up. After that we headed back to the basement where I laid down and was covered with blankets and proceeded to fall asleep.

When I woke up my body was sore. I felt like a heavy brick. I tried to sit up and stretch to relieve my muscles but a sharp pain went up my spine. I winced. Softly rubbing my back in hopes of easing the pain. Everyone saw that I was up and rushed to my side.

"Lay down." My vision was still a little blurry but I could make out the people and the voice talking to me was Lana.

I did as I was told and lied down on my back, once I was comfortable I could feel some of my muscles relaxing. The others kneeled down next to the mattress I was laying on. I could tell by their faces that they wanted to know what happened but they were scared to ask.

So I just laid there waiting for someone to ask the question that nobody really wanted the answer to.

Naruto lied back down once I told him to. His body needed time to recover. Ciel, Alois, and I were all kneeling next to him. We were all silent, we wanted to know what happened. Even though the way we found Naruto seemed to say everything. But if no one asked, it could almost have been like it never happened.

But we can't pretend what happed didn't happed; we can't run from reality, though it would be nice if we could.

I decided to be the one to speak up. We can't just sit here forever.

"What happened?" As soon as I said it Naruto turned to face us and we all looked at him waiting. We just wanted to get this over with.

"I was coming home from work and a group of guys pulled me into an ally and. . .They raped me. And they injected me with needles, I don't know how many time though. . ."

"What was in the needles?" Ciel interrupted.

"Meth." Naruto replied.

I could see his embarrassment and his pain. It was written all over his face and the tears he was trying to hold back. There was nothing I could do to help him. I can't erase what happened, though I wish I could.

"Why were you coming home late?" I asked quietly.

"I stopped by the store." He started looking around the room searching for something, at this Alois got up and retrieved the bag Ciel picked up when we left the ally. The one Naruto had pointed at. We hadn't bothered of looking in the bag since we were all so focused on taking care of Naruto. When Alois sat back down he looked up at Naruto as if asking if he could look.

Naruto gave a small nod with a slight smile on his face. Alois started to remove the contents from the bag. The bag was filled with treats and candy. We all looked at Naruto confused.

"I wanted to get us all something since we've been working so hard. I think we deserve something other than soup and bread."

We didn't know what to say. I didn't think Naruto would care so much about what we want.

"I know it's not really special, but I hope I got something everyone likes."

I didn't know Naruto was so generous. He's usually just childish and annoying, but we still like having him around anyways. Naruto's the kind of guy who you want to have around no matter how annoying. He's like a small loveable child.

"Thanks." I said.

There was nothing else to be said. All we could do was hope Naruto would be alright.

That night I promised myself I'd protect Naruto and the others. I didn't want to see any of them sad. I wanted to always be able to see Naruto smile. I didn't think I'd ever come to care about other people so much, but I knew one thing. Sadness and despair doesn't suit Naruto.

I lied there and watched everyone enjoy the snacks I got. I declined when I was offered some, not really wanting to eat. They said they'd save some for me later. All I really wanted was for the pain in my body to go away and the memories to fade. I didn't want to think. I wanted everything around me to fade.

Just like when I was going through my high in that ally. . .


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guy's I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. School's just started and I'm getting used to the new routine. I've been working on the story and I made the next chapter long for you guy's to make up for not updating I'll have it up after my editor is done with it. Right now I'm working on chapter 9 then I'll start working on the next chapters. Thanks for your patience. :)**

**Chapter 7: Addiction**

A few days had gone by and physically Naruto was appearing to look better, but I could tell he was emotionally a wreck. During practice he was quiet and didn't speak unless he needed too, he no longer had that bubbly, goofy attitude and it had its effect on all of us.

This wasn't the Naruto we knew, and it was unsettling. There wasn't anything we could do though, nothing we said or did brought Naruto out of his depression. All we are able to do now is be there for him when he needs us. And just hope that he can slowly get himself back together.

No matter what I couldn't get rid of this strange feeling. I was humiliated. And I felt dirty. Like I was covered in dirt and grime. But no matter how long I showered it wouldn't wash away.

These past few days I've been unable to sleep properly, I'd feel their hands on me and the breaking my skin, and the sharp pain in my back. I never waned to sleep. All I wanted was for it to go away, to feel nothing. . .

The sun began drifting below the horizon as I started walking home from work. I avoided ally's that were nearby. As I strolled by I saw two men sitting on the sidewalk. One was sitting against a building. He was bald and was wearing dark green coat 2 sizes too big. The other had dark brown hair and tattered and torn clothes, he looked like your typical junkie. They were most likely junkies. One of them took out a small baggy filled with white powder and handed it to, what was most likely, his buyer, after he received his money.

I knew what that powder was, it was meth. I stood there thinking. I wasn't a druggie, I knew what they'd do to me and I didn't want to end up like the junkies that were scattered in this city, doing anything for a fix, But. . . Maybe if I used a little, I could just forget it all.

I walked up to the guy and stood in front of him "How much?"

He looked at me and immediately replied "20 bucks kid." This was the good thing about drug dealers. As long as you paid them they gave you what you want and didn't care how or what you used it for.

As soon as I got through the door I rushed into the bathroom. Mumbling to the others that I was gonna take a shower. I turned the knob, and allowed the water to slowly heart up. I took the bag filled with powder out of my pocket. And gazed out it guiltily. 'Just this once' I told myself.

Once I was done I got into the shower and waited for the drug to take its affect. Once it did I felt better. I felt like I was floating and I could see my troubles drifting away.

Even though later new ones would come crashing towards me.

It's been weeks, I've been losing track of time, days meshing into hours. During that time, I was still using meth. I'm going to stop before I can become addicted but for now I just want to keep the pain away. I take it after work and it lasts through the night. The mornings suck because then I feel like a brick just landed on top of me and I see bugs crawling in my skin. I know this is just a side effect so I just scratch until their gone and it doesn't really hurt, I don't scratch hard enough to break my skin.

Everything's going great. I've had to dip into my savings a bit to keep buying some more, but I haven't taken a lot and I'll be able to get it back since I won't be taking it long enough for my savings to drastically go down. Just a little while longer. No matter what, I'm not becoming addicted. I won't let myself.

Naruto's been acting strange lately, and I'm not the only one who thinks so, Ciel and Alois thought so to. At first we thought it was because of what happened in the alleyway and we should just give him some space, but it's been about a month now. It's not that he's gloomy, actually he seems happy most of the time. There's something going on that he's not telling us. The way he's been acting isn't like his usual self. When he comes home from work he's happy but it's like it's not really Naruto. In the mornings he's worn out and gloomy.

His natural sun kissed skin seems to be getting paler as the weeks have gone by. I wonder what he's hiding. One night while Naruto was in the shower I decided to talk to Ciel and Alois about it.

"Hey guy's" I said in a low voice so Naruto wouldn't be able to hear.

"Have you noticed Naruto's been acting strange?" Alois curled up in his blanket more and scooted closer to the fire before replying..

"Yeah he doesn't seem like himself. I think he's hiding something from us."

Ciel looked down at the floor. "Maybe we should ask him about it." He said in a hesitant voice. He was right but we were just scared, we didn't want to know the truth because we knew it wouldn't end well. And no one knew how Naruto would react to us accusing him of being up to something, but we couldn't ignore it, we had to face it to help Naruto.

"Ok" I said raising my head "We'll ask him about it tomorrow." Ciel and Alois nodded in agreement. Just then Naruto came out of the bathroom in his pajamas and using a towel to dry his hair.

"Hey put your dirty clothes in the basket I'm gonna go do some laundry" I told him.

After getting all the dirty clothes I took the basket upstairs to the laundry room. As I threw this week's dirty clothes into the washer and I checked the pockets on jeans and jackets as I went, to make sure no one left anything in them.

When I reached into Naruto's jacket I felt a small plastic baggie inside.

I took out the bag and examined it. The bag was filled with a thin layer of powder. I sniffed it and rubbed my nose viciously, it smelled horrible. I could tell it was a drug. I put it in my pocket, and threw the rest of the clothes In the washer. I ran out of the laundry room back downstairs, I need to tell Ciel and Alois about this before confronting Naruto.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys sorry again for the long wait. I had the edits I just needed to put it on my document but when I tried to get to my email on my computer it wouldn't let me so I had to have Zelach send them again, Then I had to go to the hospital because I'm really sick and the doctors still don't know what's wrong with me. I'll try t post when I can. The story will continue. Thanks for being patient.**

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**Chapter 8: Help**

Naruto had left at noon to go to work; the rest of us didn't have work until later that day. So I talked to Ciel and Alois and told them what I found.

"I don't know what to say." Ciel said shaking his head in disbelief.

"That explains the way he's been acting." Alois added. "Do you think he's addicted?" he asked, worry laced in his voice.

"Let's hope not." I said, "Look we'll talk to him tonight and see what we can do, we can't wait, if we do we might be too late to help him." I said in a serious tone.

"I hope we aren't already." Ciel said. Now all we could do is wait and hope. Though hope has never taken any of us far.

Today has been ok. Work kept me busy so I didn't have time to think but after I just felt drained and I can feel that horrible feeling creeping in the back of my mind. I just needed to take a little pick me up and I'd feel better. Just a little.

I reached into my coat pocket but I didn't find my packet. I instantly began to panic, I patted down all my pockets, and felt nothing. I stopped walking, and breathed in shakily, trying to think of where it could be. It shouldn't be gone I always kept my jacket on. . . Except for last night. Last night I put it with the other dirty clothes. Which means. . . Lana must have found it when she did the laundry.

Shit! I couldn't go back now they'll just judge me or yell at me or...kick me out of the band. No! What was I supposed to do now? New emotions washed over me, it was worse than the feeling that seemed to follow me every day. I couldn't go back; I turned around and walked to the sketchier side of the city. I couldn't help it, at times like this. . . Meth seemed to make it all better.

Naruto's shift ended at five, it was eight now and he still wasn't home. We were all starting to get worried.  
"We should go look for him" Alois suddenly said.

"He's right" I agreed "He could get into trouble, we need to find him before something bad happens." I spoke calmly so I wouldn't worry them. After that we all split up to find Naruto and agreed to meet back home at ten. We were hoping that anyone of us could find him.

My vision was so blurry I could hardly make out anything in front of me, I couldn't walk straight and I was giggling for no reason. I think I used some more meth than usual. I trying to get rid of that feeling and making sure it stayed away for a long time. I used all the money I had on me to buy as much meth as I could. Though I'm not sure how long that will last me before my next paycheck.

I still had my savings back at the basement though. I wasn't gonna be in the band no more so I might as well take back my money. With that in mind I wobbled y way back to the place I once called home.

I spent the last two hours looking for Naruto and couldn't find him, when I met up with the others I saw they hadn't found him either.

"There's one place we haven't looked." I said and they knew what I was talking about. It was the dangerous part of the city where all the junkies and gangs hung out. It was too dangerous for one of us to go alone.

"Are you guys ok with going?" I asked. I wouldn't force them to go but I knew I couldn't go alone.

"Yes." Ciel replied

"I'll go to. Anything for Naruto." Alois added. With everyone in agreement we made our way down town.

By the time I got to the basement I could feel the after effects of the meth. I felt bugs crawling under my skin and I was cold. I wouldn't be able to find anything like this so I sat in a corner to wait for it to pass.  
Not long after I saw more bugs and started scratching harder I knew they weren't real but it felt so real. I started to lose my mind I could hear the voices of my band mates yelling at me, telling me I ruined everything, that I was useless, then I started to hear the voices of people who had tormented me all my life.

None of the other voices insults hurt me as much as the ones coming from my friends.

We had officially looked everywhere in the city and we didn't find Naruto. Thankfully nothing happened while we were down town; we stayed away from everyone and only focused on finding Naruto. There was nowhere else to look all we could do now was go home and hope Naruto would come back.

As we made our way into the basement I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and saw a ball of yellow in the dark corner of the room. I went closer and I could see it was Naruto curled up into the corner digging into his arms with a dull pocket knife.

"Naruto" I whispered. It was loud enough for Ciel and Alois to hear. Alois ran over and spoke in a relieved tone.

"Naruto! We've been looking everywhere for-" He stopped mid-sentence once he saw Naruto.

He had scratches all over both his arms; he was shaking, and whispering 'sorry'. I kneeled down next to Naruto.

"Naruto." I whispered "What are you sorry for?' I asked trying to see if I could figure out a way to help him. He looked at me. His normally sky blue eyes were dull, and filled with tears.

"I ruined everything. I'm so sorry." He cried.

I couldn't stand seeing him like this; it made my insides twist uncomfortably. I wanted to do everything I could to make the look on his face go away and be replaced with one of his goofy smiles.

"It's ok Naruto." I said. Ciel and Alois sat next to us and Ciel whispered to him;

"We'll help you." I could see in their eyes that they didn't want to see Naruto like this either, we all wanted to see him happy. Naruto still sat there digging at his arms crying and apologizing. I put my hand on top of his and gently pulled the pocket knife out his hands.

"We're here for you and we'll be with you no matter what. We all make mistakes and we'll all work together to fix them." I looked him in the eye and tried to show him how much I cared. How much we all cared.

I asked him softly; "Do you want help?"

He looked at me a few seconds longer before nodding his head.

"Yes" he whispered hoarsely and a tiny smile made its way to his face and I saw the desperation in his eyes.

"But first I need to get these bugs out." He said turning his attention back to his arms and continued to scratch them raw. I took hold of his hands "There's nothing there." I told him. I knew he still saw them and he was suffering.

"You know what helps?" I asked "Warm water will make them go away." I told him. I told Ciel and Alois to go draw a bath for Naruto. He needed one anyway, he was covered in dirt. And it might help him calm down.

Once they were done they came back out and helped Naruto to the bathroom. "This will make you feel better." I told him.

Ciel and Alois took him into the bathroom and helped him into the tub. They helped wash off the days grime that had been accumulated. I stood next to the opened door to the bathroom leaning against the wall. "Do you feel better?" I asked a few minutes later. "Yes" he replied relief in his voice.

I slid down to the floor and wrapped my arms around my knees. I felt a single tear slide down my cheek. That's the first time I remember crying.

I was gentle as I scrubbed my way to Naruto's arms I didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already was. He looked so fragile. Ciel scrubbed Naruto's hair with some brand less shampoo and lightly massaged his scalp. I will do everything I can to help Naruto.

That's a promise.

Naruto was lying on his mattress covered up and sleeping. Ciel, Alois and I sat in a circle around the fireplace. It was quiet as we were all lost in our own thoughts, but we were all thinking about Naruto. We knew he needed help and there wasn't much we could do to help him. We're not exactly professionals. I was the one to break the silence.

"Naruto needs real help."

"I agree but what can we do?" Alois said tiredly.

"I've totaled up our savings including what Naruto has left and we might have just enough to send him to rehab." I said.

"That means we have to start all over." Ciel said.

"I know and I can't make this decision myself, we can only do this if everyone agrees."

It grew silent again. We all knew we couldn't go on like this, but we didn't want Naruto to suffer and we didn't want him to disappear from our lives.

"I'm okay with it." Alois said being the first to speak "If it means we can help Naruto. I like our band the way it is and I don't want it to change. I like being with you guys."

"Me too." Ciel agreed. "It's like we're all family. . . I like it."

A small smile made its way to my face "Yeah we have our own little crazy family." I said making the other two chuckle quietly. With us all in agreement we were going to start making arrangements for Naruto to go to rehab in the morning.


End file.
